CALGARY - Charges have been laid in Calgary against the owner of a dog that bit a seven-year-old boy and caused serious injuries to his face.

A spokesman for animal and bylaw services says the department received a call last Thursday that a child has been bitten by a two-year-old Labrador cross.

Abdul Rafih says the boy was visiting the owner's home.

He says the child had been chasing the dog around the house for about 10 minutes when the animal bit him

The boy's parents were not present and there were no witnesses to what happened.

A provincial court judge is to decide the consequences for both the owner and the dog.

"The boy and the dog were outside on the rear deck. The owner heard his dog yip, then the boy cry," Rafih said in a news release Monday. "The boy was immediately taken to a medical facility for treatment."

The owner is charged with one count of bite to a person and two counts of having an unlicensed animal. A mandatory court appearance is required in all serious cases and consequences include fines up to $10,000.

The dog is being housed at the Animal Services Centre where it will undergo a 10-day quarantine, which is mandatory for disease control when a person has been bitten. The dog has no prior history of aggression.